What is a Collaborative Divorce?

Although collaborative divorce sounds good and it has been recently endorsed by the American Bar Association as an alternative to end a marriage, we are not proponents of it. As Cooperative Divorce Attorneys we believe instead in Cooperative Divorce.

A collaborative divorce is an idyllic alternate dispute resolution for divorcing couples who want strong legal representation but also to stay out of court. Unlike a Contested Divorce, collaborative law offers you the option of retaining a team of divorce professionals. You or your spouse can choose from any of the following:
Divorce Lawyer - Essential for the collaborative process, advises you on family law in your state
and works with your spouse's lawyer to draft a settlement.
Financial Professional - Educates you on the short and long-term financial aspects of your divorce.
Mental Health Professional - Helps you develop strategies to cope with the emotional and mental
strain of the divorce process.
Divorce Coach - Combines practical techniques and emotional support for dealing with your divorce.

In a collaborative divorce, couples and their attorneys agree (but not in a binding contract) to: (1) keep communicating; (2) share information; and (3) negotiate mutually acceptable settlements out of court. However when either party ignores the agreement and goes to court, neither attorney may continue to represent their client. In other words, all the effort and money spent is wasted and the divorce starts over at the beginning with new attorneys. Therein lies the rub and why we do not endorse this method. If the odds are 50/50 that either spouse may ignore the collaborative agreement; then the chance of starting over with new attorneys and going to court is 75%. See Cooperative Divorce.